American Indians Orange County

A black thunderbird sends a message from the Creator to the crows fluttering through a burnt sky, and the crows then deliver that message to the people. That Indian legend is depicted on a goatskin drum at the 23rd Annual Powwow at the Orange County Fairgrounds this weekend. The drum, made by Toby Christopher, is one of many handcrafted items on display and for sale at the powwow, which is one of the largest in California.

Along with the predictable population trends in Orange County's schools--that the percentage of Latino students is growing and the proportion of white children is shrinking--another figure stands out in the county's new campus demographic report. Huntington Beach Union High School District counts almost 7%, or about 1,000, of its students as Native American. That might not seem like a lot, but it's 14 times higher than the countywide average.

After more than a century of protest to correct a "mistake of history," the Juanenos finally have been heard. About 100 people gathered Tuesday at Mission San Juan Capistrano to celebrate the state's official recognition of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians as the original native tribe of Orange County.

Workers repairing broken water lines dug up a human skull and some teeth Friday afternoon in a Midway City neighborhood, officials said. Judy Suchey, a forensic anthropologist from Cal State Fullerton, was called to the site, where she examined the bones and determined that they are human and probably about 500 years old. The remains were found about 3 feet deep by a crew working about 12:45 p.m.

There is no Bible, no sin, no conversion. At The Gathering, a nondenominational Native American church that meets each week in Garden Grove, there is no written Word, no right or wrong, no death or need for redemption--just truth, accountability and a belief that all is sacred and connected. Formally known at the American Indian Church, it was founded with eight members in 1978 by Little Crow, a Garden Grove resident of Dakota and Lakota Indian heritage, and his wife Alice Bryant.

September 23, 1990 | SCOTT HAYS, Scott Hays is a regular contributor to Orange County View.

North American Indians always have held close spiritual ties with their ancestors. So when charges surface that human remains and religious artifacts from sacred Indian burial grounds have been unearthed by developers and tossed in a scrap heap, kin groups and tribal elders go on the warpath. "We believe the remains of our people are sacred," says Vera Rocha, chairwoman of the Gabrieleno Indian Tribe, whose ancestors once occupied the hilly lands near Newport Beach.

Spiritual rites and modern development clashed Wednesday as the Irvine Co. reburied ancient artifacts unearthed in 1994 while building a Newport Beach housing development. When the Irvine Co. began building the 149 Harbor Cove homes along the bluffs of upper Newport Bay, it discovered skeletal remains and artifacts, including charm stones, hunting tools and ceremony beads belonging to two tribes--the Juanenos band of Mission Indians and the Coastal Gabrieleno-Dieguno Indians.

Native American tribes seeking formal recognition from the U.S. government are required to meet seven criteria, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which makes the ultimate decision: * History. They must be identified as an Indian entity by people outside their group and provide supporting documentation, such as photographs and newspaper clips, as well as federal, state and local records.

Like most teens, Tawny Hale, 16, and Cuauhtli Arvizu, 15, like to dance, listen to music and hang out with friends. On weekends, though, they are not so typical. Both grew up learning the rhythms and songs that have been passed down by their ancestors: for Hale, the Navajos of the Southwest, for Arvizu, the Aztec Indians of Mexico. The Hales, of Pico Rivera, and the Arvizus, of Garden Grove, spend almost every weekend performing indigenous dances at schools, powwows and public events.

A group of Juaneno Band of Mission Indians elected a tribal leader and council Saturday, while an opposing faction called the results meaningless. Sonia Johnston was named tribal leader, but declined to discuss her new position Saturday night. Johnston said she and other new members of the Juaneno council would be talking about their roles at a later date. But David Belardes, the leader of a rival faction, was quick to dismiss Saturday's vote.

Construction resumed today on an office complex where bones of a Native American man were discovered. The remains, estimated to be between 200 and 500 years old, were turned over to the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians for reburial nearby, a city official said. Tom Tomlinson, planning director, said the discovery halted work yesterday on the 142,000-square-foot office complex. The bones, which were 12 feet down, seemed to be from one person, and no other artifacts were found, Tomlinson said.

Workers digging a drainage ditch for a new business complex stopped work Tuesday after finding bones from a 200- to 500-year-old American Indian man. The remains are recent in archeological terms, and there is no evidence of other bones or artifacts nearby that would disrupt construction, said work site archeological monitor Steve Dennis.

Workers digging a drainage ditch for a new business complex in San Juan Capistrano stopped work on Tuesday after finding bones from a 200- to 500-year-old American Indian man. The remains are recent in archeological terms and there is no evidence of other bones or artifacts nearby that would disrupt construction, said work site archeological monitor Steve Dennis.

Archeological remains found at Bartlett Park will probably bury the city's ambitious development plans for the site. In a report due later this month, a city consultant will propose dramatically scaling back the initial designs because rare seashells discovered in April suggest it was once a Native American gathering place.

There is no Bible, no sin, no conversion. At The Gathering, a nondenominational Native American church that meets each week in Garden Grove, there is no written Word, no right or wrong, no death or need for redemption--just truth, accountability and a belief that all is sacred and connected. Formally known at the American Indian Church, it was founded with eight members in 1978 by Little Crow, a Garden Grove resident of Dakota and Lakota Indian heritage, and his wife Alice Bryant.

Like most teens, Tawny Hale, 16, and Cuauhtli Arvizu, 15, like to dance, listen to music and hang out with friends. On weekends, though, they are not so typical. Both grew up learning the rhythms and songs that have been passed down by their ancestors: for Hale, the Navajos of the Southwest, for Arvizu, the Aztec Indians of Mexico. The Hales, of Pico Rivera, and the Arvizus, of Garden Grove, spend almost every weekend performing indigenous dances at schools, powwows and public events.

When people first notice Harry Tahsequah's dark brown eyes, aquiline nose and high cheekbones, many immediately begin describing their own American Indian heritage. Whether they're 1/4 Apache or 1/16 Klikitat, their point is always the same: Indian blood flows here, too. Tahsequah, 38, the director of security at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, listens politely, then tells his story in a deliberate, self-assured manner. He often leaves his new acquaintances quite amazed.

The place looks like little more than an abandoned work site now. On a windy winter day, the heavy smell of damp earth rises from the ground. And amid an array of metal storage trailers, the landscape is dotted with piles of loosened dirt. It wasn't always that way. Once, archeologists believe, this 7.4-acre site near the Bolsa Chica wetlands was a large village teeming with the life and culture of an ancient civilization.

A long-simmering dispute over ownership of invaluable Native American artifacts is heating up as the city prepares to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Newland House, built by one of Huntington Beach's pioneer families. Mary Newland began collecting hand-woven Native American baskets at the turn of the century, said Cheryl Robinson, administrative assistant to the city's Community Services Department.

The bullets began arriving before Christmas. One was sent to an Irvine Co. vice president, another to Seal Beach's development director, and another to an American Indian leader. But not until Seal Beach Mayor Gwen Forsythe announced her intention to resign after being sent a rifle bullet earlier this month was it made public that an array of people have been sent bullets in the mail.